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App downloads decline 2.3% in 2024, but consumer spending grows to $127B

The global app economy continued to recover in 2024, after an earlier slowdown in 2022 — at least in terms of consumer spending. In 2024, global consumer spending in mobile apps and games reached $127 billion across the App Store and Google Play, up 15.7% from the prior year. However, those increases were driven by […]

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Temu is the most downloaded app on the US App Store in 2024

Chinese shopping app Temu was once again the most downloaded free app in the U.S., according to a list of top apps and games across the App Store released by Apple on Monday. The shopping app moved into the No. 1 slot last year, stealing the position from TikTok, which held the title in in […]

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Roblox will now give users 25% more of its in-game currency if you buy Robux on its website

As scrutiny around Apple and Google’s app store fees ramps up around the world, Roblox is now offering users who buy its game currency, Robux, on the web and via gift cards 25% more than they would get if they purchased from an app store instead. In essence, the company is encouraging users to purchase […]

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Apple ordered to open up in-app purchases in Brazil

Brazil’s antitrust regulator Cade has ruled that Apple must lift restrictions on in-app purchases within 20 days, Reuters reports. Otherwise, if the iPhone maker doesn’t comply, it faces fines of $43,000 per day. This decision is the result of a complaint filed by e-commerce merchant Mercado Libre in 2022. If you’ve been following recent changes […]

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Apple again snubs AI in its ‘iPhone App of the Year’ finalists

On Monday, Apple’s list of finalists for its coveted “iPhone App of the Year” award once again reveals how the iPhone maker is downplaying the impact of AI technology on the mobile app ecosystem. As it did last year, Apple’s 2024 list of top iPhone finalists favors more traditional iOS apps, including those that help […]

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TV Time points to Apple’s ‘significant power’ over developers after being removed from App Store

TV Time, a popular TV and movie tracking and recommendations app with more than 30 million registered users, disappeared from Apple’s App Store for several weeks, leading to questions about its future from the app’s avid fan base. Considering that 2.5 million users use the app every month to track what they’re watching and to […]

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Musi fans refuse to update iPhones until Apple unblocks controversial app

"Who up missing Musi?" a Reddit user posted in a community shocked by the free music streaming app's sudden removal from Apple's App Store in September.

Apple kicked Musi out of the App Store after receiving several copyright complaints. Musi works by streaming music from YouTube—seemingly avoiding paying to license songs—and YouTube was unsurprisingly chief among those urging Apple to stop allowing the alleged infringement.

Musi was previously only available through the App Store. Once Musi was removed from the App Store, anyone who downloaded Musi could continue using the app uninterrupted. But if the app was ever off-loaded during an update or if the user got a new phone, there would be no way to regain access to their Musi app or their playlists.

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